Coraline
by Captainamerica107
Summary: Coraline is the new beldam after letting her other mother sew the buttons. It is up to Bella to set things right with the help of her new friends Wybie and Cat. I do apologize for 2 small paragraphs of the 2nd chapter being at the end of the first. ,
1. To catch a fly

**To catch a fly**

"You do like it here, don't you, Coraline? My other mother used her usual charming voice; it almost put me to sleep. It had been so nice here, much better than my other house, and mom number one and dad number one. I wanted to stay here forever

"Uh-huh." It was true, I did like it here.

"Good night, Wybie." I said good night to my mute friend, he smiled but it quickly turned into a frown. My other mother turned me around and began walking me to the kitchen, she stopped once I was there and turned back to the door, she corrected Wybie's frown pulling on the sides of her on lips, he only increased his long face, he knew what she was going to do to Coraline next.

"You could stay here forever if you want to." I smiled, I'd like that, I'd like that a lot I thought.

"Really?" I smiled more almost jumping out of my comfy seat at the kitchen table.

"Sure. We'll sing and play games, and Mother will cook your favourite meals." My other father joined the conversation. I thought to myself, did I just think of my other mother as mother…

"There's one tiny little thing we need to do." My 'Mother' was eager.

"What's that?" I wasn't worried at all; I wanted to stay there bad.

"Well, it's a surprise." My mother smiled, and even wider smile than before, it comforted me.

I ran over to her seat, I jumped into her lap and stayed there, she cuddled me and I put my hands around her arms. I turned my head around and snuggled it into my mom's shoulder.

"For you, our little doll." She placed a hexagonal box in front of me.

…I opened it, two black buttons, the same as hers, a needle and some thread.

"Black is traditional. But if you'd prefer pink or vermillion or chartreuse...Though you might make me jealous."

"It doesn't hurt my dear" My mother added.

I thought over it in my mind. She was so nice, she kept me fed and was an amazing cook, and her hugs were warm, much like my old mother's. She had an amazing scent that made me feel safe and warm, she knew me like the back of her hand, why my old mother didn't even know if I liked my eggs sunny side up or over easy, my old mother didn't know my favourite colour or perfume.

"What will happen when I grow up?"

"Why you can do what you like dear, I will keep you fed and warm, and you can go out with your friends, to the club, wherever you like."

"You mean there's more than just this house, and the garden?"

"Of course dear" She was still holding me, I was still in her lap with my head snuggle deep into her shoulder...her hair smelt good, the father was on the other side of the table."

"I'll be right back dear."

She left, I was all alone with other father, I didn't know him that well.

"Hey dad" I thought about my words, I didn't regret them, if I was going to make this world my new home I had to get to know my dad.

"Hello, Coraline, are you going to stay here forever?'

"I think I will dad"

"Coraline, dear" Mom came into the room, with a trolley full of food, she placed the food in front of me

"Hmmmm, this smells good"

"As always Coraline" Mom smiled.

I dug into my food, eating chicken and potato and peas and corn and gravy and milkshake and ice-cream.

"Oh, my god I'm stuffed" I spoke with my mouth full of ice-cream.

Mom and dad didn't eat, they just watched me...smiling.

Mom left again, this time she came back with Wybie who she shoved into the kitchen forcefully.

"Hey, Jonsey" He struggled but managed to smile.

"Wybie, you just talked!" His posture was better too.

"Yeah, Miss, Jones just fixed me"

"Thanks mum"

"Coraline, is that a yes, for staying here forever?"

"….y…yes"

"That's great Jonsey!" Wybie hugged me, he looked into my eyes as if to say good bye, next time he saw me they'd be buttons.

~xXx~

Mom took me to the stairs, she stopped outside of a little door, I had always thought it was a broom closet…until she opened it.

Behind the door were stairs, they seemed never ending. Mom walked me down, Wybie and dad didn't follow.

We walked for minutes; it felt like hours, I took in the blue and purple glowing walls, much like that in the passage way from my old home to my new one. Those walls would be one of the last few things I saw, with my real eyes.

~xXx~

I looked at mom, she looked slightly different, her neck was longer, so were her fingers and there was one small crack on her face…I thought about what cat said…or maybe she just wants something to eat…

No! no way, that couldn't be true…but mom looked scary…she was thinner…My mind was still made up, how bad could it be, how much could it hurt

For the first time since agreeing to mom sewing buttons in my eyes, I was scared, I was finally thinking.

I couldn't back out now, we were at the end of the stairs, and there was another door, a bigger door this time.

Mom opened the door, it was a small dark room, and I couldn't see anything I think mum could. I grabbed a hold of moms arm and snuggled into it.

"Now Coraline" the sweetness was gone from her voice, now her voice made me want to run not fall asleep.

"Mom"

"Coraline!"

"Mom where are you?"

"I'm still here Coraline"

She picked me up, she threw me onto a table and strapped me to it, I couldn't move. She put tape on my mouth, I tried to scream but nothing came out, I tried to move but was stuck to the table.

"I'll remove the tape when you stop struggling dear" She used her sweet voice once more.

I lay there still and calm, I stopped moving and took slow deep breaths through my nose. She removed the tape.

"Owwww!" I screamed out in pain.

"Sorry dear, my dear, dear, Coraline… soon you will see things our way."

She stroked my head, kissed it, and then she licked my hand.

"You're a tasty one Coraline" She sneered, still using her sweet voice, she continued to lick my hand, I wanted to stop her, I wanted to scream…but my voice had left me…left me all alone in the dark with an evil witch who wanted to eat me and sew buttons in my eyes… great, just great.

My voice had found me and I screamed out in pain as she bit my hand, It bled, it bled badly…She sucked up all the blood with her long, long tongue.

"Do you want to eat me, or love me?" I don't know how I managed the words.

"Both darling, dear, beautiful Coraline…Oh how I love you my darling girl. Your blue hair, your flesh…your blood, hahaha" she used her sweet voice, it hypnotised me, I couldn't think properly.

"Fine" I couldn't manage any other word, my body wouldn't let me.

With a swift movement she reached over to something nearby, I could only hear her, I still couldn't see a thing.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH" I screamed out in pain, she had placed a button over one of my closed eyes and put a needle through one of the holes, the needle punctured my eye and blood began to pour down my cheeks and into my mouth.

She struggled to pull the needle through the next hole from the inside of my eye….soon enough I had one button eye.

I took my last look at darkness with my real eye. She placed another button over my left eye and pushed the needle in.

This time I didn't scream out in pain...at first.

"Oh, so that didn't hurt aye?" she pushed the needle deeper into my eye, I was sure I was going to die. More and more blood gushed down the side of my face and dripped into my mouth; I choked on the blood in my throat and spat in out all over my clothes.

The second button was in...I was one of them…I didn't know if she was going to eat me...make me serve her…love me.

I could suddenly see the room. It was still dark, it was only lit with candles, 10 or so and their flame wasn't the usual orange and red, but green and blue…

I looked to the Beldam. She was smiling, blood dripping from her mouth; I hadn't noticed the other bites all over my arm. My arm was bleeding badly and she licked it all up laughing and smiling.

I couldn't stop her, I was still strapped to the table and I didn't have the strength to talk.

"Coraline. You look so much more beautiful now dear...A true faery's child you are…With wild, wild eyes"

I sobbed to myself, it was all over, and I was a fool. I'd let her win.

The other mother walked me up the long dark stairs, I could see so much more now, so much more than blue and purple walls there were old toys and cob webs everywhere, there were no walls, just space, endless space.

"Coraline…" She sang my name softly to her self.

…I didn't speak…

"How old am I?"

"However old a spider must be to catch a fly" She spoke like a wise old witch.

"A fly"

"Coraline, I'm old."

…

I've been stuck here for centuries now. I haven't had a proper meal for a 100 years and a small taste of your blood won't keep me going for long, you have to promise me something my dear."

"What if I say no?"

"Then you'll die. You're a real child Coraline, now that you have buttons you must eat to survive and that is what you must promise me, you will catch flies and you will not fail."

"Then I'll die"

"I'll surely be gone in a few weeks and then I'll be stone, if you don't eat you'll be stone to and it will all be over, all hope of you seeing your family again will be lost"

"You mean there's hope"

"Yes"

"….ahhh" I only breathed but I was saying yes, I didn't want to die, either way I had buttons in my eyes, I may not have known it but I too was an evil witch longing for a meal and someone to love.

"That wasn't so hard now my darling Coraline"

"No"

Mom began to sing then, a sweet poem.

"I met a lady, in the meads

Full beautiful, a feary's child

Her hair was long, her foot was light and her eyes were wild." She sang the poem softly.

I reached up to touch my eyes; they were big, black buttons.

Bella sat in her room on her favourite pink chair by the window. It was cold outside, autumn had just ended and winter was here bringing its fierce chill with it.

It had been summer when she, her sister and her parents moved to the pink palace, she had to move away from her friends who were still in Australia, where it was summer and come to America…She hated the place.

Bella missed her friends greatly, especially her best friend, Victoria, Tori for short. Tori had short blond hair and it was thick, Tori played basketball. Bella didn't play a sport, she played hockey back in Australia, she had only played in school but she was good and always made the team.

Her open window sent a slight breeze towards her blowing about her long dark brown hair. She took a black hair tie off her wrist and tied her hair into a medium ponytail; she admired the shine and slight wave to her hair in the round mosaic mirror on her windowsill.

That mirror had been there when she arrived at the pink palace 2 months ago, though it was old it was very pretty.

Her mirror reflected her school blazer, shirt, tie and skirt, hanging from her bunk ready for next term, she shared a room with her little sister, Eliza who had turned 10 last month, only two years younger than herself.


	2. Bella meets Cat

Bella sat in her room on her favourite pink chair by the window. It was cold outside, autumn had just ended and winter was here bringing its fierce chill with it.

It had been summer when she, her sister and her parents moved to the pink palace, she had to move away from her friends who were still in Australia, where it was summer and come to America…She hated the place.

Bella missed her friends greatly, especially her best friend, Victoria, Tori for short. Tori had short blond hair and it was thick, Tori played basketball. Bella didn't play a sport, she played hockey back in Australia, she had only played in school but she was good and always made the team.

Her open window sent a slight breeze towards her blowing about her long dark brown hair. She took a black hair tie off her wrist and tied her hair into a medium ponytail; she admired the shine and slight wave to her hair in the round mosaic mirror on her windowsill.

That mirror had been there when she arrived at the pink palace 2 months ago, though it was old it was very pretty.

Her mirror reflected her school blazer, shirt, tie and skirt, hanging from her bunk ready for next term, she shared a room with her little sister, Eliza who had turned 10 last month, only two years younger than herself.

~xXx~

Bella jumped back in fright at the sight of a skinny black cat on her windowsill. The cat jumped inside and Bella scooped him up on to her lap.

"Hey boy, You scared me?"

…

"So you can't talk"

The cat blinked its big blue eyes in response; Bella took it as a no.

"I suppose I should name you then…" Bella thought for a while.

"How bout, Cat, just cat" Bella suggested.

Cat purred and curled up in Bella's lap, it comforted Bella greatly to have a friend while she was home alone, her mother and sister were shopping and her father has work every day but Saturday and doesn't get home till 9.

"You must be hungry huh?" Bella ran her hands across the cats skinny spine, Cat looked as though he had never eaten at all.

"Do you live around here?"

Bella didn't quite know why she was talking to a cat, cats can't understand humans, surely she knew that.

You are one skinny cat, I think I'll feed you. Bella thought to herself.

Bella stood up slowly and gently and carried the cat with her to the kitchen, Bella opened the fridge and the cat eyed a half-eaten can of tuna.

"Sorry cat, there's not much in here at the moment, mum is out shopping with Eliza and dad is at work, they might be a while."

"Will some tuna be okay?"

Bella placed the half-eaten can of tuna of the floor and within seconds the cat had eaten it all up.

"Why don't we going exploring cat?"

Bella bent down and knelt on the floor to be closer to cat.

The cat only blinked in response.

Bella picked up the can and chucked it in the bin with cat in her arms as she ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs, she carried the thin cat into her room, Bella put on her pink boots, hat and matching rain coat, she grabbed a bag and slung it over her body.

"C'mon cat"

Bella scooped up that cat in a hurry stumbling a few times as she ran down the stairs holding the fragile thing.

Bella ran into the kitchen with cat in her arms. She pulled a pink water bottle from the cupboard and filled it with water; she then grabbed a chocolate bar and 3 packs of lollies form the cupboard.

"Shhhh, don't tell anyone cat" she winked at the cat and he flicked his tail.

She shoved the water and food in her bag. Next she grabbed a torch, a microscope, a pack of band aids and a blanket for cat, Bella put the blanket over the other supplies in the bag,

Bella scooped up cat from the floor and put him in the bag, and cat snuggled into the blanket.

Bella ran to the door and down the stairs. She stopped running when she got to the garden.

"Why don't we have a look around her aye?"

The cat only flicked its tail in response.

"Man I wish you could talk" Bella was bummed.

Cat jumped out of the bag and had soon disappeared into the garden, Bella caught up with the cat.

"Do you want me to follow you?"

This time the cat nodded in reply, Bella's mouth fell to the floor.

"You can understand me!"

The cat nodded once again.

Bella ran after the cat, it lead her to the edge of the forest and went in, Bella was reluctant to follow it. She stepped into the forest slowly…stepping on a twig; cat turned around and hissed at her as if telling her to be quiet.

The cat turned a sharp corner and Bella ran after it once more.

"Cat where are we going?" Bella demanded it.

Cat turned around after Bella spoke; in his mouth he held a doll. Bella's mouth fell to the floor.

~xXx~

The doll had Bella's pink boots, jacket and hat, it had her long dark hair, tanned skin, red lips but something different was the dolls big, black button eyes, and a big black key with a round black button at the end wrapped around the dolls neck.

"Huh…" Bella took the doll from the cat's mouth.

"It looks just like me cat"

"But...how?"

Bella ran her fingers over the key and through the dolls woollen black hair.

"Cat, say something, please" Bella begged.

The thin black cat ran through Bella's legs in an instant, she tripped and cat continued to run.

"Owwwwww!" Bella screamed out in pain.

"Stupid Cat!"

Bella pulled the blanket out of her bag chucking it on the floor. She began searching for band aids, when she found them she put them in her lap, she grabbed the pink water bottle and poured some on her leg before putting the band aid on.

She pulled out the chocolate bar and placed everything else back in the bag including the doll, Bella pulled the blanket on top. She put the chocolate bar in her left pocket and the doll in her right.

"Cat, cat come back, I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Bella stumbled through the forest looking for cat.

"Cat, that's your name isn't it, just...cat, I was right"

Cat appeared from the bushes, he nodded, Bella smiled.

"So, cat, where to next."

Cat flicked his tail to Bella's right and I followed. Cat came to a stop at an old well.

"What's this cat?"

Cat jumped on top of the well, flicking his tail and blinking his big blue eyes at me before opening his mouth.

"Yes, the name is Cat…" Cat had a strange voice, he sounded old and wise, he was definitely male.

"How old are you cat?"

"I've walked these parts for centuries, befriending countless children like you"

"What do you mean like me?"

"You're not the first child I've given a doll to. That doll has resembled 30 children before you."

"Cat, you're scaring me"

"You should be scared; it's all a game you know"

"A game?"

Cat jumped off the well and could no longer speak; he nodded at me instead and jumped inside my bag.

"So you can't talk when you're not on the well?"

Cat blinked.

"That wasn't the right question was it?"

Cat shook his head.

"We should get back, don't you think"

Cat was tired of talking, he closed his eyes and I pulled a part of the blanket over him.

I pulled the chocolate bar out of my pocket and ate it as I walked back the way we came.

~xXx~

"Mum, I'm home!" Bella screamed as she opened the front door to the house.

"Mum, dad"

"Bella, where have you been, you've had us worried sick." Bella's mom stood straight and tall, her long dark hair falling to one side and her usually rosy cheeks pale in anger and fear for her daughter.

"I, I went exploring"

"All alone" Mom whined.

"No, I…I had cat"

"Cat…"

Cat jumped up into my arms, purring and licking his paws.

"So, he's a stray?"

"I'm not sure"

"Hmmm, Bella I don't think I want you keeping stray in the house" mom gave me a look and sipped at her coffee.

"He's a good cat mum, that's his name you know, Cat"

"Bells, is that a doll, it looks just like you!"

"Um…Yes, Cat found it in the…in the garden"

Charlise grabbed the doll from Bella, her hand gripping the dolls waist and her finger running over the dolls button eyes.

"It looks just like you Bells"

Bella ignored her mom's comment.

"Oh, mum you went shopping!"

"Yeah, well it's not much but it's enough for a couple of day's dear"

Bella ran into the kitchen to find a plastic bag on the kitchen table. In the bag were few things, toilet paper, bread, milk, chocolate, butter, cheese, eggs and apples.

"It's ok mum, when does dad get paid?"

"Thursday dear"

Bella didn't want to wait two whole days for a proper hot meal but she still had the 3 bags of lollies in her bag.

Mum left the room and Bella began to empty the bag, she emptied the water bottle into the sink and put the water bottle in the sink next to it. It was still cold outside but it had started to rain heavily, she put away everything except the lollies and ran upstairs into her room.

"Oh, hey Liz" She smiled at my sister as she walked into the room.

"Oh, where've you been missy?"

"Out, exploring, with cat"

Cat ran through Bella's legs and onto her bed he curled into a ball and began to purr, he was tired, it had been a long day.

"Hmm, he's kind of cute, I guess"

Liz put her head phones back over her ears and held her magazine over her head as she lie on the floor.

Bella hopped onto her bed with Cat, she took off her muddy boots and chucked them onto floor.

She emptied her bags of lollies and chucked them under her pillow. She slung her bag over the frame of her big white beautiful bed.

Cat nudged at her right pocket.

"Haha, cat what are you…" Bella cut herself off.

"Shit! The doll"

Bella felt sick at the thought of the doll and the cat's words.

Why did it look like me?

~xXx~

That night Bella couldn't sleep, she tossed and turned thinking about cat, the doll…What did it all mean.

'You should be scared; it's all a game you know'

'I've walked these parts for centuries, befriending countless children like you'

'You're not the first child I've given a doll to. That same doll has resembled 30 children before you.'

Bella held the doll in her hand as she slept.

She dreamt strange things…Mice chanting things to her, little songs.

~xXx~

Tap tap tap

Bella woke to the sound of a small black figure tapping at her window.

"Oh, hello there, what are you doing here Cat?"


End file.
